Aviation emissions

Conformity checking of National Implementing Measures for DIRECTIVE 2008/101/EC, inclusion of emissions from aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)

Client: DG CLIMA

The aim of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is to reduce emissions from the industry in a cost effective manner. Directive 2008/101/EC amends the ETS Directive 2003/87/EC to also include aviation activities in the ETS which are accountable for 3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the Framework Service Contract ‘Conformity checking of measures of Member States to transpose Directives in the sector of the Environment and Climate Change and technical assessments on Member States' Milieu has been awarded a Specific Contract.

Under this contract Milieu performed a legal analysis of the transposition of Directive 2008/101/EC in the 28 EU Member States. The project was a challenging task since the project duration was only 9 months and since it included the assessment of those provisions of Directive 2009/29/EC, which had meanwhile amended the ETS Directive for another time, that refer to aviation.

As a first step, the study served DG Climate Action to prepare EU Pilot letters for those Member States that did not transpose the Directive/s in a satisfactory manner. The study may further serve as a basis for infringement procedures.